Banneker-Douglass-Tubman Museum

06/19/2026

BDTM Celebrates Juneteenth 🤎 | June 19

Juneteenth commemorates freedom, resilience, and the enduring legacy of African American history and culture. Observed each year on June 19, this historic day marks the day in 1865 when Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, and announced that enslaved African Americans were free, more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863.

The news, delivered through General Order No. 3, brought freedom to many of the last remaining enslaved people in the Confederacy and marked a pivotal moment in American history. Juneteenth has since become a powerful symbol of liberation, perseverance, and the ongoing pursuit of justice and equality.

Juneteenth is both a celebration and a reflection, honoring the strength, courage, and contributions of Black communities throughout history while encouraging continued learning about the stories, struggles, and triumphs that have shaped our nation.

As we honor this important day, BDTM encourages everyone to reflect on the significance of freedom, engage with African American history, and help preserve these stories for future generations.

⏰ Please note that BDTM will be closed on June 19 in observance of the holiday. BDTM will reopen on Saturday, June 20, 2026. We invite you to stop by after the Annapolis Juneteenth Parade and continue celebrating with us.

06/19/2026

As Juneteenth approaches, there are many celebrations and events recognizing the momentous holiday marking the end of the enslavement of African Americans in this nation. Juneteenth honors the day in 1865 when the end of slavery for African Americans was announced in Texas, more than two years after the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation.

June 19th has become a day of celebration, signifying the resilience, strength, and power of the African-American community. The Maryland 250 Commission has you covered with many opportunities to celebrate Juneteenth all across Maryland this year, the 250 anniversary of the United States of America. While the Banneker-Douglass-Tubman Museum will be closed on Juneteenth in observance of the holiday, the museum will be open on Saturday, June 20th, during our regular hours so you can experience the ‘She Speaks’ exhibit as part of your holiday plans.

Check out the MD 250 Commission Events page below to plan how you’ll celebrate the holiday in Maryland!

View Maryland 250 Commission Events Page: https://mdtwofifty.maryland.gov/experience/events/

06/17/2026

Join us for a vibrant community send-off led by the BDTM Afterschool Program, our young travelers embarking on an unforgettable journey to Senegal. This event celebrates the deep cultural ties between West Africa and Maryland, honoring the stories, resilience, and rhythms that connect us across the Atlantic. Throughout the evening, our students will share what they've learned throughout the year, from history and heritage to music and movement.

Experience drumming and dancing workshops, delicious food tastings, dazzling fashion spotlights, and so much more, all guided by the energy and vision of our youth. Come support our travelers as we send them off with pride, music, and community spirit. A celebration of heritage, learning, and the bridges we continue to build.

🗓️ Date: Saturday, Jun 27, 2026
⏰ Time: 1:30 PM - 3:30 PM
📍 Location: Banneker-Douglass-Tubman Museum, 84 Franklin St, Annapolis, MD 21401

Register here: https://bit.ly/BDTMSenegalSendOff

06/16/2026

Congratulations to our Executive Director Chanel C. Johnson and the museum for being honored! 🥳

Preserving our history means empowering the voices that keep it alive.

For our AFRO Juneteenth Breakfast, we are thrilled to honor Chanel C. Johnson, Executive Director of the Banneker-Douglass-Tubman Museum, as one of our Stewards of Legacy. Thank you, Chanel, for your incredible leadership and dedication to safeguarding Black history and culture in Maryland!

Come celebrate the change makers who ensure our stories are told accurately and beautifully.

📅 When: June 18th | 8:30 AM – 10:30 AM

📍 Where: Baltimore Museum of Industry (1415 Key Hwy, Baltimore, MD 21230)

🚗 Parking: Complimentary

🎟️ Tickets: $100

👉 Get your tickets now: afrotix.live (Link in bio!)

🙏 Shoutout to our amazing sponsors for supporting this vision: Associated Black Charities (ABC) | BGE | GBMC Healthcare | Roland Park Place | SECU

06/15/2026

The deadline is approaching to apply for the FY27 African American Heritage Preservation Program grant! All applications need to be in by 11:59 PM on July 1, 2026.

AAHPP provides grants to assist in preserving buildings, sites, or communities that are of historical and cultural importance to the African American experience in Maryland. It is administered as a partnership between MHT and the Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture.

For more information and application materials, visit the program webpage at bit.ly/AAHPP-MHT. Or you can watch the most recent AAHPP webinar recording at youtu.be/iHEX0R-Iy24

Graphic: Mt. Zion Memorial Church, Princess Anne (FY23 AAHPP Awardee)

06/12/2026

Experience The Temple of Our Survival by acclaimed Pittsburgh-based artist Alisha B. Wormsley as part of our current exhibit “She Speaks: Black Women Artists and the Power of Historical Memory.”

This immersive installation transforms our gallery into a sacred space for reflection, storytelling, rest, and collective care. Quilted with African and African American textile language and filled with hand-printed fabrics, woven rugs, plant medicine, ancestral imagery, and tools for rest, crafting, and ritual, The Temple of Our Survival honors generations of Black femme care, adaptation, and spiritual practice. Over the years, the Temple has traveled to culturally and ancestrally significant sites across Pittsburgh, Syracuse, St. Louis, Oakland, Truth or Consequences, and now Annapolis as a place to gather, exchange knowledge, and document lessons in survival rooted in land, memory, and community.

Join us on Saturday, June 13 at 1pm for a special performance and conversation with artists Alisha B. Wormsley, Tsedaye Makonnen, and harpist Megan-Joie Coleman, connecting ancestral wisdom, contemporary artistic practice, and visions of Black futures.

Register here: https://bit.ly/WormsleyInstallationPerformanceConversation

Photos: Installation of The Temple of Our Survival in Verda Welcome Hall, the historic wing of BDTM.

06/11/2026

📣 Proposals are now being accepted for "Aesthetic Inheritance: Art, Archive, and African American Life," a symposium convening scholars, artists, and cultural workers in dialogue on African American art, archives, memory, and historical documentation.

Held October 1–3, 2026 at Bowie State University, with opening programming at the Banneker-Douglass-Tubman Museum.

🗓️ Submit abstracts for presentation by July 10, 2026.

Submit here: https://bit.ly/CallForProposalsAestheticInheritanceSymposium

This symposium is presented in partnership by Bowie State University, Maryland Commission on African American History & Culture and Banneker-Douglass-Tubman Museum.

06/10/2026

We are incredibly proud to share that our very own LeRonn Herbert, Administrative Manager, will be honored this Saturday, June 13th, as one of the Caucus of African American Leaders' 100 Men of Distinction! 🎉

This recognition is a testament to LeRonn's dedication and commitment to excellence — both in our office and in the community. We celebrate you, LeRonn! 👏🏾

Carl Snowden

Caucus of African American Leaders to Honor 100 Men of Distinction During Awards Program in Annapolis

For tickets, visit: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/100-men-of-distinction-award-program

For the full story, visit: https://www.reportannapolis.com/2026/06/caucus-of-african-american-leaders-to.html

06/10/2026

🎨 In celebration of Annapolis Arts Week and , join us at BDTM for two exciting events:

🚶🏿‍♀️BOUNCE Annapolis Gallery Art Walk
🗓️ Thursday, June 11, 5-8 PM
📍 Banneker-Douglass-Tubman Museum
Link to register: https://bit.ly/BDTMArtWalkJune2026

BDTM opens its doors for an exclusive evening event, inviting visitors to experience its rich collections and exhibits after hours. Throughout the evening, guests can explore the galleries of Annapolis and visit BDTM to uncover stories of Maryland's African American history and culture.

🛕 The Temple of Our Survival: Alisha B. Wormsley Installation, Performance & Conversation
🗓️ Saturday, June 13, 1-4 PM
📍 Banneker-Douglass-Tubman Museum
Link to register: https://bit.ly/WormsleyInstallationPerformanceConversation

As the nation marks 250 years since its founding, we are called to ask: whose survival made this nation possible? Join artist Alisha B. Wormsley for a special activation of The Temple of Our Survival (Children of NAN: A Survival Guide), a mobile cinematic altar and gathering space dedicated to Black femme survival, care, and reMatriation. Presented in collaboration with artist Tsedaye Makonnen and harpist Megan-Joie Coleman, this immersive event brings together ritual, sound, and collective storytelling as an act of historical reckoning and remembrance.

The program will feature a live ritual performance honoring Black femme survival, including a guided group dreaming meditation and opportunities for audience members to participate by reading their own survival stories alongside those of historical Black femmes from Maryland and beyond, centering voices that the official record of nationhood too often left out.

The event will conclude with a panel conversation on the project and the ongoing practices of Black femme survival, moderated by curator Martina Dodd, exploring what it means to commemorate 250 years through the lens of those who were never meant to survive it, and did.

The event will then feature a special cyanotype art workshop led by Khaleelah I. L. Harris, a featured artist with 'She Speaks', where attendees can create their own sun-printed masterpieces. No prior art experience is needed; Harris will guide each attendee through every step, making the process as meditative as it is hands-on. There is limited workshop space capacity so registration is strongly encouraged.

Also throughout the day, DJ Muse will provide an ambient set, with tunes flowing through the halls of the museum.

A big thank you to our sponsors of this event: City of Annapolis and Association of African American Museums (AAAM)